VN: You began your fashion label Rodarte in 2005, I’ve heard you sold just about everything you owned to raise the funds for that first line. That experience sounds reminiscent of a caterpillar going thru a cocooning process shedding records, favorite jackets, art and collectibles that help construct ones identity and coming out the other side as fashion designers. WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE, TO HAVE ALL OF YOUR STUFF BACK OR ONION DIP AND CHIPS AT THE SNAP OF YOUR FINGER?

K&L: We would love to have our original record collection, as it was made primarily with the help of our father. Some of the albums had such sentimental value. However, we are in the process of building a new collection, and we are enjoying the excitement of making good finds at local record stores!

VN: You’ve designed costumes for Darren Aranofsky’s film Black Swan, worked with Frank Gehry and Dudemel for the production of Don Giovanni. and more. WHAT ARE THE FIRST 3 STEPS IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS AND WHAT IS THE LAST?

K&L: 1. Opening our minds to inspiration- looking to our environment and surroundings for a moment of excitement and feeling of newness.2. Free ourselves of any previously conceived notions.3. Always trust your insticts.Last: There is never a last step, never a moment where we stop questioning what we are making and wanting to make it better.

VN: You appear to have an incredible work ethic and tireless enthusiasm. I’m speaking of your devotion to the holidays, starting with the incredible decorations of your house, lawn, rooftop, and themed parties for Halloween, and Christmas. To add to the mix last year you moved studios and still pulled off an incredibly elegant jank prom. Now you follow it up with winning Vogue’s top 12 shows of Spring Summer 16. It’s truly incredible. HAVE YOU EVER FINISHED A GAME OF MONOPOLY?

K&L: No, we have not.

VN: Your father Perry has amassed a vast tape collection, I assume his collection is a great library to pull from to set a mood. CAN YOU GIVE US A SMALL PLAYLIST FOR THE ULTIMATE POOL PARTY?

Brandon Andrew your latest exhibition “i wear my feelings on my sleeve” at the Virgil Normal store turned art gallery in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles debuted on Saturday the 10th of October 2015 and closes the 7th of November. The work seemingly whimsical and minimalist at first. Employs conceptual tricks established by the likes of James Turrell, Robert Irwin, and minimalism Mark Rothko comes to mind. But where those traditions follow Clemente Greenberg in disasocciating the work from outside references, yours seeks to attach and undermine the subjects associated.

COLOR, LIGHT, PHYSICAL TEMPERATURE AND TIME ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT YOUR WORK TRAFFICS IN. PLEASE RE-ARRANGE IN YOUR ORDER OF PREFERENCE.TIMELIGHTCOLORTEMPERATURE

(Intelligentsia)

IN YOUR WORK COLOR IS CONSTANTLY IN FLUX PLEASE GIVE US A CONCRETE DESCRIPTION OF THE EFFECT THIS HAS ON YOU?IT EFFECTS ME LIKE A THAI MASSAGE, SLIGHTLY DISCONCERTING BUT OVERALL A COMFORT AND RELIEF. THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONSISTENT IN LIFE IS INCONSISTENCY.

YOU MESH ABSTRACT ELEMENTS AND TIE THEM TO LOS ANGELES. IS THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES CONSTANTLY IN FLUX AND ABSTRACT?EVERY CITY IS IN FLUXUATION...EXCEPT MAYBE NEW YORK, MANHATTAN SEEMS TO BE HITTING A MOMENTARY STASIS.

(Cesar E Chavez Ave.)

YOU TIE SUNSET BLVD TO THE HOLLYWOOD MOVIE LESS THAN ZERO, WHICH CALLS TO OUR ATTENTION THE SLIPPERY RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH LOS ANGELES BY LAYERING THE EXPERIENCE OF SUNSET BLVD. IN MOVIES AND OUR “IN REAL LIFE” MEMORIES. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN AT THE RAINBOW ROOM?NO, BUT I’VE GOTTEN TRASHED THERE. IN THE 90’S IT WAS EASY TO USE A FAKE I.D. BEFORE GOING TO SHOWS AT THE ROXY.

(Julian)

CONSIDERING THE WAY YOU JUXTAPOSE MATERIALS AND AESTHETIC TO TITLES SUCH AS CHARLES BELK AND JAMES BLAKE BOTH PERSONS SUBJECT TO CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS WHY DO YOU USE COLORS AND MATERIALS THAT SUGGEST THE SUBLIME?I SEE THE USE OF THE SUBLIME AS FORMAL ESCAPISM, A SEDUCTIVE VOID. TO SOME EXTENT SUNSET BLVD. AND LA SUNSETS ARE IDEALIZED AND IDOLIZED ESCAPIST TRAPS, INSTEAD OF LEAVING MY AUDIENCE TO BASK IN THE SUNLIGHT I USE IT TO TRAP THEM INTO ACKNOWLEDGING THE WAY WE PERCEIVE THE WORLD AROUND US. THE DOUBLE MONOCHROMES APPEAR TO LOOK THE SAME, BUT UPON SPENDING TIME WITH THEM THE VIEWER IS EXPOSED TO AN ALBERS AND A ROTHKO, VERY DIFFERENT CONCEPTS AND DIFFERENT VISUAL IDENTITIES. A QUICK READ OF THE WORK DENIES THE VIEWER AS WELL AS THE WORK ITSELF.

IN RODEO DR. AND RODEO RD. THE PIECES ARE IDENTICAL EXCEPT FOR THE TIMING OF YOUR TEMPERATURE CONTROL, WHAT IF ANY CONTRASTS DO YOU INTEND THE VIEWER TO CONNECT? THEY ARE NOT IDENTITICAL. THE POSITIONING OF THE HEATING SYSTEM ON RODEO DR IS 3/4 FROM THE TOP OF THE CANVAS AND THE HEATING SYSTEM RODEO RD IS AT THE VERY TOP. FORMALLY THEY ARE THE SAME WHEN NOT ACTIVATED BUT LIKE THE OTHERS THEIR INNER WORKINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT. BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THIS Q&A LET'S SAY THAT THEY ARE EXACTLY THE SAME, THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IS IN THE SAME SPOT. IF I HAVE ONE GO ON AND OFF BETWEEN 11AM-9PM AND THE OTHER FROM 11PM-9AM WOULD YOU CONSIDER THEM TO BE THE SAME PIECE? DO YOU THINK TIME HAS THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO PIECES OF ART?

THE ELEMENT OF TIME HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MAKE ANYTHING PLASTIC OR MALLEABLE. WHICH WOULD LEAD THE VIEWER TO FIND A “UNIQUE” ITEM AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

THAT GIVEN, YOUR PIECES DRAW DIFFERENT MEANINGS ONCE READ WITH TITLE SUCH AS “JULIAN” OR SUNSET DRIVE THE REFERENCE TO ROBERT DOWNEY JR’S CHARACTER AND HIS PREDICAMENT IN LESS THAN ZERO EXPERIENCE ON SUNSET BLVD. WHAT CAN A VIEWER INFER FROM THE NEARLY IDENTICAL TITLES RODEO DR. VS RODEO RD. AND HOW DOES TIME AND HEATING SYSTEM TIE INTO THIS CONTRAST YOU ARE CREATING?

RODEO RD AND RODEO DR ARE RELATIVELY SIMILAR, A COUPLE LETTERS ARE SWITCHED BUT OTHERWISE THEY'RE THE SAME... WHAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT IS THAT ONE IS IN BEVERLY HILLS AND IS PRONOUNCED RODAAYO AND THE OTHER IS PRONOUNCED RODEO AND IS IN INGLEWOOD. NOT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT LOS ANGELES AND OUTSIDER WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE STREETS BUT FOR A LOCAL THEIR HISTORICAL IDENTITY DICTATES THE WAY THEY ARE PERCEIVED. SO LIKE THESE STREETS MY PIECES HAVE THEIR OWN A PRIORI KNOWLEDGE.(Rodeo Rd. & Rodeo Dr.)

Working with Jersey Cotton, Time, Last Night’s Sunset, and ThermochomicInks artist Brandon Andrew seeks to expand upon the work of the LA Light & Space artists of the 60’s by reengaging concepts of perspective and perception in the context of today’s pervasive digital culture. With pieces that oscillate between Rodchenko and Rothko —imagery, concept, and color are all in flux asking the audience to question what they are seeing and how they are seeing it.

Brandon Andrew (b. 1982) was raised in Los Angeles. He received his BFA from SMFA/Tufts in Boston. His work has been shown at the MUHKA Antwerp, his most recent solo exhibition was at the Composing Room in Berlin, and has shown at Human Resources, Chapman University's Guggenheim Gallery, and Family Business in NY among many others. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

Saturday July 25th from 5pm to 10 or later Honey Power Collective take over Virgil Normal.

This being Honey Power's first art show they dug into their musical roots and uncovered a trust of vetted musicians who are accomplished artists. Work by King Tuff, Amy Allen, Sam Phillips, Luke Thomas, Mukta Mohan, and Emily Alban. Music provided by the Honey Power dj's and Special guest band (too big to mention).

Also Shirley Kurata and Charlie Staunton will be screening William Klein's 1969 masterpiece "Mr. Freedom" containing the only color footage of the May 1968 student uprising and featuring Serge Gainsbourg.